Author Archives: Sasha McBrayer

About Sasha McBrayer

Sasha McBrayer is a fan of Marvel Comics, science fiction films and bright nail polish. A list of her published, short, speculative fiction stories can be discovered over at her blog: nikanors-inn.livejournal.com. To see her weekly movie review visit coastalcourier.com and click on "Showtime with Sasha". http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/b6c8a69f9da49400b44cfcaa28774e90.png

Rocket Racoon, guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel Adviser Joss Whedon Believes In “Guardians Of The Galaxy” Director

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Rocket Racoon, guardians of the Galaxy

Even the most fervent fan of Marvel Comics may be scratching his head, asking, “What in the world is Guardians of the Galaxy?” Thankfully, you’ve got us to get you up to speed on what may become a very hot new comic book movie.

With a big name like Joss Whedon putting his official stamp of approval on the project, you can bet heads will be turning. According to the headlines, even Whedon, who is a creative adviser to the comic book giant, had reservations about making the unusual Marvel Comics team into a feature film. That was until he heard the name of the man who would be responsible for directing. That man is James Gunn.

The first issue of Guardians of the Galaxy hit newsstands in 2008. Created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, it follows the exploits of a team known as The Guardians. It is space opera style material and members of the team are pretty out there. One is called Rocket Racoon, who is actually an anthropomorphic, biped, raccoon, who wears clothes and has a face full of fur. Another team member is Groot, a sentient tree, not completely unlike something out of Lord of the Rings. There’s even a telepathic dog called Cosmo.

“James is what makes me think it will work,” Whedon told MTV News at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he debuted his Shakespeare adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing.

“I myself was sort of like, ‘Well, I liked Rocket Raccoon as a kid, but I’m not sure how that plays [to a wider audience].’ And then they said, ‘Well, we’re thinking about using James Gunn.’ And I said, ‘Oh, then no, you’re fine.’ He is so off the wall, and so crazy, but so smart, such a craftsman and he builds from his heart. He loves the raccoon. Needs the raccoon,” Whedon said.

Why is Whedon such a James Gunn fan?

“This is the guy who wrote ‘The Specials.’ People don’t understand how influential that movie was about heroes, about taking heroes and making them mundane,” Whedon added. “And [he directed] ‘Super.'”

Super is the film where Rainn Wilson is The Crimson Bolt and Ellen Page is Boltie.

“[Gunn]has a very twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material. It’s going to be hard for the humans to keep up,” said Whedon.

You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll be on the look out for more Guardians of the Galaxy news. Just don’t confuse all this with the animated fantasy picture about a bunch of high flying owls.

Whedon fans, by the way, will be excited about Much Ado About Nothing. Many of Whedon’s most popular collaborators are in the film. These include Amy Acker as Beatrice. She’s one of my favs. Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg also star.

2012 also saw Whedon releasing The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers, of course. Don’t forget to read up on his plan to bring Marvel Comics’ S.H.I.E.L.D. to television via the ABC network.

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis in talks for “American Assassin”

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Bruce Willis

An American king of action cinema has his sights on a new film. The role would put star, Bruce Willis, in the role of a mentor CIA agent. When you consider how much fun 2010’s RED was, where Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren portrayed aging spooks, the new picture, titled American Assassin, should catch your attention.

What we know thus far is that American Assassin is a thriller, slated for delivery via CBS Films. Mike Finch wrote the script and Jeffrey Nachmanoff will take directing duties. Nachmanoff has directed a handful of episodes of the critically acclaimed television drama, Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. Remember the director’s name also because he wrote 2013’s upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, called The Last Stand. Hey, the former governator always promised he’d be back.

Another important name behind American Assassin is Lorenzo di Bonaventura. He is producing the upcoming picture along with Nick Wechsler through di Bonaventura Pictures. Di Bonaventura has been behind a slew of pictures, to include Derailed, Man on a Ledge, Shooter, Salt, and, yes, even RED. It’s safe to say that he knows his way around a thriller.

The plot for American Assassin centers upon a young CIA operative named Mitch Rapp. He’s a graduate of Syracuse, a former grad student there, in fact, which means he’s a sharp cookie. After his girlfriend is killed in a terrorist attack, he turns his energies toward joining the CIA. Terrorists beware. Once he’s with the agency, Willis’ character mentors the younger agent.

Sources say Willis has had this script in his hands for a while, but is closing in upon a decision. Filming is scheduled for 2013. Once Willis signs on, the studio would need to cast the role of Mitch Rapp. I’m a Jeremy Renner fan, but here’s to hoping this is one film he won’t be considered for. He can’t be in everything, am I right? Who would you pair with Bruce Willis?

One exciting Hollywood pairing is Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who are sure to rock the box office with the upcoming September 28 release of the science fiction thriller, Looper. The mere mention of the film makes me drool.

You see, director Rian Johnson worked with Gordon-Levitt in 2005 on the extraordinarily unique picture, Brick. In that one, a young Gordon-Levitt pays homage to hard boiled film noir detectives, yet is acting as a modern day high school student. The sophisticated language Rian Johnson utilizes in the film is nothing short of incredible. Looper re-teams Jonhson and Gordon-Levitt in a science fiction picture tailor-made for the young star of Inception, Dark Knight Rises, and Premium Rush.

No one anticipated Bruce Willis coming on board. As sweet as that is, it presented challenges, as Willis and Gordon-Levitt look nothing alike, yet are acting as younger and older versions of the same man. The result for Gordon-Levitt was hours in the make up chair and blue contacts, all to make him look more like Willis. You can even hear him talking like Willis in the trailer.

Looper also seems to me to have a few similarities with a classic Willis film, 12 Monkeys. I find that, too, pretty exciting.

Bruce Willis is also said to be working on a new Die Hard picture.

Tobey Maguire Options Cardboard

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What is the worst present you could ever give to a child on his birthday? How about a cardboard box? That’s pretty lame under normal circumstances, but in the graphic novel called Cardboard, the extraordinary happens. What’s even more interesting is the fact that this piece, written by Doug TenNapel, is about to get the big screen treatment, thanks to Fox Animation, WedgeWorks, and star, Tobey Maguire.

You see, Maguire owns Material Pictures, the company all set to executive produce the film adaptation of the graphic novel. Cardboard will be an animated feature.

After the down on his luck dad, a widower, to boot, offers the box to his son in the story, they decide to fold it up into the figure of a boxer named Bill. To their surprise, Bill comes to life. But the local bully, Marcus, has his own wicked plans for Bill. If the film follows the novel closely, other cardboard creatures will come to life as well, threatening everyone in town.

The graphic novel is published by Scholastic Graphix. WedgeWorks’ own, Chris Wedge whose credits include Ice Age, may choose to direct the upcoming film adaptation.

If handled right, this project could get pretty epic. Sounds like a rip-roaring good time to me. I can already picture my nephew begging for Cardboard action figures.

Since Maguire is already affiliated with the film, we may expect him to lend his voice to one of the main characters. This wouldn’t be the first time. His pipes were featured in the WB’s Cats & Dogs. He was Lou the Beagle, for your information.

It’s good to see Tobey Maguire in the news. I haven’t really seen his face since the drama Brothers, where he acted a prickly part opposite Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. If you haven’t seen it yet, the acting is well worth a watch, but there are scenes that will make you squirm, thus earning it’s R-rating.

Maguire has a few other projects on the burner. I simply cannot wait for the 2013 debut of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gastsby. The best known film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel, starred Robert Redford as Gatsby; Mia Farrow as his wealthy love interest, Daisy; Sam Waterston as the narrator, Nick Carrway; and Bruce Dern as Tom, Daisy’s husband. In the 2013 version; however, it is Tobey Maguire who plays Nick; Leonardo DiCaprio will be Gatsby; Carey Mulligan is Daisy; and Joel Edgerton is Tom.

If you know Baz Lurhman’s work, you know the film will be epic and larger than life. He’s actually going to present the film in 3D.

Maguire is also slated to act as real life persona, Bobby Fisher in the upcoming biographical picture titled Pawn Sacrifice. Maguire’s own Material Pictures will produce this project as well.

As for author, TenNapel, he has a whole slew of other titles to his name and best of all a few others are scheduled for big screen adaptations, too! His Ghostopolis is currently in the hands of Disney, and his Monster Zoo was snatched by Paramount.

Jeffrey Wright confirmed as Beetee in Catching Fire

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The Hunger Games was one of the biggest films of 2012 and you can bet the sequel, Catching Fire, will likewise set fans a-flame. As we are counting down to the November 22nd, 2013 release date, final casting decisions continue to pour in. The character of the hour is Beetee, a tribute from District 3. Actor Jeffrey Wright has won the role.

You heard the exciting news right here when the much-anticipated and highly coveted role of literary hottie Finnick Odair, finally went to actor Sam Claflin. In my opinion, the choice of Claflin has been the most controversial. Do you think the actor, who many have said they barely noticed opposite Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and the Huntsman, can pull of playing the charismatic and complex role of Finnick?

As for Jeffrey Wright, film fanatics should recognize the actor’s face. He has appeared in Source Code and Syriana and has played the character of Felix, James Bond’s American pal, in both Casino Royale and in Quantum Of Solace. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed Wright’s name mentioned in conjunction with the new Bond film, Skyfall. That’s too bad.

In 2008 he brought to life the musician, Muddy Waters, in Cadillac Records and even has a Tony Award thanks to his work in Angels in America.

I particularly enjoyed Wright’s work in The Ides of March, where he had the chance to play a quite unlikable senator. Sometimes it’s those flawed characters that allow actors to flex even more theatrical muscle.

If you have yet to read the Suzanne Collins penned sequel to The Hunger Games, you are probably thinking Wright seems a wee bit older than your average Tribute. You’re correct. Without giving too much away, I can tell you one of the prominent features of the second installment of the Games is an event called the Quarter Quell. It occurs every 25 years and is an excuse for the Gamemakers from the Capital to be extra nasty.

Their cruelty allows Katniss and Peeta to meet former champions from the other Districts. Among these are a pair nicknamed Nuts and Volts. The real names of Nuts and Volts are Wiress and Beetee. District 3, their home, is famous for the production of electronics. Beetee is a very intelligent man whose importance continues on through the rest of the series. I think this was really stellar casting. I can picture Wright sinking his teeth into this role and disappearing into character.

Of course, most of the casting thus far has been particularly wonderful. This is what happens when a book adaptation is fortunate enough to get a team of filmmakers who genuinely care about getting things right.

What I also is love is the onslaught of “serious” actors being attached to the film. Case in point is critically acclaimed thespian, Phillip Seymour Hoffman joining the cast as Plutarch Heavensbee. Hey, how do you like that? Hoffman was also a part of the political thriller The Ides of March, opposite Wright, Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. Plutarch becomes the new Head Gamemaker after Seneca Crane, Gamemaker from the first film, is executed for being such a royal screw up. Crane was, of course, acted by actor Wes Bentley.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence. His previous films include I am Legend, starring Will Smith, and Water for Elephants, starring Robert Pattinson.